Grooming My Ass intimately dissects a relationship between a seventeen year old transgender girl and a twenty-seven year old man.

Written and performed by Ryann Lynn Murphy, the play is an unflinching, raw, and deeply queer one-woman show about sex, manipulation, and the long shadow of first love.

In a time when trans voices are increasingly under threat, supporting trans art has never been more important.

I started writing this play in 2022, and after years of development and readings, we are ready to bring Grooming My Ass to a live audience—an audience that deserves a story that is messy and challenging.

This year, we’re taking the show to the Edinburgh Fringe, and we’d love your support in making it happen. From performance space to travel and promotion, your contribution helps ensure these essential stories are heard and given the platform they deserve.

Budget Breakdown:

Performance space: $3,500

Lodging: $3,500

Marketing/PR: $2,000

Miscellaneous & contingency fund: $1,000

Total: $10,000 (plus additional fees/taxes from Go-Fund me).

Risks & Challenges:

If we do not reach our funding goal, the show will still go on—but it will mean personal financial strain to make it happen. Theater is always a labor of love, but your support will make the difference between a scrappy production and a fully realized vision.

This is a chance to be part of something raw, urgent, and necessary. Help us bring Grooming My Ass to the stage.

About the Artists:

Asa Nestlehutt is a director based in New York City. As a director Asa has always been drawn to queer themes and stories and is thrilled to be able to take this one to a larger international stage. He is a founding member of ROGUE arts, dedicated to creating queer accessible theatre. Previous directorial credits include M4M, Rhinoceros, and Blood Wedding. asanestlehutt.com

Haley Crawford: Producer and Set Designer (they/them) is a producer and theatre maker based in NYC. As a theatre maker they are dedicated to making an entire vision come to life. With experience from set design to running a show Haley’s goal in theatre is to make a spectacle happen and they love being a part of any production. They’ve been inspired by theatre since 12 years old and have made it their life’s passion to be a part of theatre in anyway. A founding member of ROGUE Haley also works off Broadway as a stage hand

Lee Lillis: Producer and Lighting Designer, is a NYC/DC-based lighting and sound designer with a passion for merging art and technology in order to create new theatrical experiences. A firm believer in the power of collaboration, Lee strives to be an involved member of the artistic process, working with his peers to build worlds that challenge the boundaries of what theatre can become. His designs have been featured at the Edinburgh Fringe, HERE Arts, Theatre Row, Royal Family, Chain Theatre, The Tank, Atlantic Acting School, Fordham University, and more. In the rare moments that he’s not in the theater, he can be found playing the piano, doing the crossword, reading, and playing with his cat, Bibble. lillislighting.com